Serving counter hood



May 27, 1941.

c. H. WHITENAC K 2,243,491. .SERViNG COUNTER noon 7 Filed June 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'INVENTOR. 7 (Ker/e. fiifrnell,

ATTORNEY 6.

C. H. WHITENACK SERVING COUNTER HOOD May 27, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1939 Maw ATTORNEYS Patented May 27, 1941 FEED I E-NT JOE F! GE SERVING'COUNTERHOOD Charles H.'-Whitenack, New York, N.Y., assignor 'to The Liquid (larbonic Corporation, Chicago,

llL, a corporation of Delaware Applicationlnne 7, 1939; Serial No; 277,813

3 Claims.

I Myinvention relates to improvements in service Pounters of the type more frequently-used for I serving fountain drinks; light lunches, and-the 1 like.

More particularly, myinvention relates to a canopy adapted to overhang the service elements of afountain lunch bar, both for; decorative and utilitarian-purposes.

=It is-one of theobjectsof myinvention-to provide a canopy of the above type which will carry off any cooking fumes or food odors arising from the service bar, which, at-the, same time, will provide-means forsupporting; themenu of articles served by the bar and which, also, will supportsuitable illumination and means for reflecting the lights of the illuminant downwardly on the service; bar.

another portion; and

Fig. is a longitudinalsectional viewshowing the arrangement. of the canopy over the service portion of the bar and the position of the same relatively to the customer bar.

Referring to the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the customer service counter I is mounted upon suitable frame work 2 extending upwardly from the floor and has provided in front of the same chairs 3 for the accommodation of the different customers. Against the wall at the rear of the counter I are arranged various service devices 3' which may include suitable service sinks, steam tables, a soda fountain, if desired, and suitable refrigerating compartments for the storage and dispensing of refrigerated goods and ice creams.

Arranged over the service equipment 3 is a canopy 4 which is adapted to project forwardly and overhang the service equipment.

This canopy, as illustrated in Fig. 2, more particularly, comprises a series of brackets having a horizontally extending leg 5 and a vertically extending leg 6. The horizontally extending leg may comprise a light hollow casting having a substantially flat upper rib I and the lower rib, a portion 8 of which is curved, while the rear portiorr 9 is straight. andtapers up to meet averticahbrace I9. -Ex-tending downwardly from-the straight-portion 9-isa leg 6 comprising-therear vertical. arm ,I I and the upwardly and'forwardly (as for. instance wherethe canopy maygcurve to different widths or where even anarrower canopy may be desired,the bracket may takethe shape illustrated in Fig, 3, whereinthere is provided a pair of parallel horizontal ribs I4 and I5. The top rib, at the rear, is bent downwardly to pro- ;videa back :Iii which extends forwardlyasat I! to meet a downwardly and inwardly inclined arm -.I8=.extending from the bottom rib I5. 'This arm below the portion-*1 I may have a rear, bracing rib I9. l

The structure illustrated in Fig. 4 has substantially thesame construction as thatrillustrated in Fig. 3 except that the ribs I4 and I5 are shorter.

is provided with upper and lower forwardly extending projections 2| and 22.

Referring back now tothe brackets illustrated al ig; 2,. a sheet metal cover 23 extends the length of the canopy which cover is turned down over the .rearJIO of the brackets and is then turned inwardly and downwardly, as at 24. Due

to the fact that the downwardly extending arm I I of the bracket is slightly spaced from the rear wall, an additional cover sheet extends the length of the canopy, which sheet 25 extends upwardly and is turned outwardly over the downturned portion 24 of the top sheet 23, the two sheets being secured in position by screws extending into the brackets.

A front sheet is secured against the upwardly and forwardly inclined arm I2 of the bracket, this sheet 26 being turned inwardly beneath the bottom of the bracket and lying beneath an angle bracket 21. The bottom cover 28 follows the contour of the bottom bar 8 of the bracket and extends substantially the entire length of the canopy and, if desired, may have a highly polished surface being formed of sheet steel and thus providing a reflector surface. Clip bars 29 are secured between the plates 26 and the bracket 1 21 at the top of said plate 26 and clip bars 30 are purpose more fully hereinafter appearing.

Ineach instance, there is a downwardly extendinglip 29,-which, likethe lip I4 in'Fig. 2,

The reflector plate 28 stops slightly short of the extreme outer end of the bracket and in the angle formed by the lip 14 and the bottom bar 8 of the bracket an angle member 3| is secured, to which is attached, at suitable intervals, lamp socket boxes 32. It will be noted that the angle plate 3| is spaced from the outer end of the reflector plate 28, leaving an opening between these two plates and thus providing a passage up through the reflector plate 28 into the space between this plate and the top plate 23. This space between the two plates communicates through an opening 33 with a suitable duct through which is carried any fumes passing thereinto.

A decorative molding 34 is secured over the front end of the bracket, having rearwardly and inwardly turned flanges 35 and 36. The inwardly turned portion of the flange 36 engages over the lip l4, thereby holding the molding in position and it will be noted that there is space left between this inturned flange and the angle plate 3| which will also provide a duct through which fumes may pass into the pass between the plates 28 and 23.

Due to the fact that the lower portion of the bracket is spaced from the wall, a cover plate 31 is secured to the bottom of the vertical portion 6 of the bracket and this cover plate extends back to and abuts against the wall surface proper.

In those structures where the brackets are much shorter, as in the structures illustrated in Figs. '3 and 4, the top cover plate 38 does not pass down around the back of the bracket, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, and the reflector plate 39;

instead of being curved, as in the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, is straight and has a downwardly extending portion 48 behind which extends a holding portion of the clip 4|. Also, it will be noted that the bracket extends to the wall and as a result, the cover plate 3 1, as used in Fig; 2, is dispensed with.

By' the above structure, and due to the fact that the brackets themselves may be formed of cast aluminum and are therefore extremely light} an attractive canopy may be arranged above soda fountains and lunch counters, and the like, which will provide a substantially'vertical portion having means for removably securing thereto the menus or other display cards, in such a position that the light is thrown thereon from lamps hidden from the view of the customer and that, at the same time, a reflecting surface is provided for also deflecting the light from the hidden lamps downwardly on not only the service parts of the counter or bar but also on to the counter at which the customer is sitting.

I claim as my invention:

1. A canopy for service counters, comprising a plurality of brackets adapted to be secured against a wall, each comprising a vertical leg having an upwardly and forwardly inclined front portion and a substantially straight rear portion, and a horizontal leg extending from the vertical leg, a sheet metal facing secured to the front face of the vertical leg, retainer strips arranged at the top and bottom of said facing having a portion spaced apart from the facing and adapted to face one another, and a sheet metal facing secured to the under side of the horizontal legs having its surface formed for reflector purposes.

2. A canopy for service counters, comprising a plurality of brackets, each comprising a vertical leg having an upwardly and forwardly inclined front portion and a horizontally disposed leg projecting from said vertical leg, the horizontal leg having, at its outer end, a downwardly projecting lip, a sheet metal facing secured to the front portion of the vertical legs of the brackets, retaining strips secured to the front portion of each vertical leg at the top and bottom of the facing and spaced apart from the facing, a sheet metal facing secured to the under side of the horizontal legs having a reflector surface, a sheet metal molding strip secured to the outer end of said horizontal legs, and lamp-receiving sockets secured on the inner face of said downwardly projecting lips on the horizontal legs.

3. A canopy for service counters, comprising a plurality of brackets, each having a vertical leg provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion and a horizontal leg having, at

its outer end, a downwardly extending lip, a sheet metal facing secured to the inclined portion of the vertical bracket legs, a sheet metal facing secured to the under side of the horizontal bracket legs, said underside facing having an opening at the forward edge thereof," a second sheet metal facing secured to the top side of the horizontal brackets and extending downwardly on the rear of the vertical brackets to form a hollow conduit, said conduit having a discharge opening in the top facing.

CHARLES H. WHITENACK. 

